Valina ran at a brisk but comfortable pace down the long, packed dirt road, trying to keep her mind from distractions. Her training allowed her to keep her eyes peeled, scanning the edges of her vision without even thinking about it, which was helpful in the quickly-fading sunlight.

But she had more than just the dangers of the road and her teachers’ safety on her mind. The image of Tavin’s face, the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness the night before, kept returning ...